Upright vacuum cleaners are ubiquitous. They are known to include an upper portion having a handle, by which an operator of the vacuum cleaner may grasp and maneuver the cleaner, and a lower cleaning nozzle portion which travels across a floor, carpet, or other surfaces being cleaned. The upper portion is often formed as a rigid plastic housing which encloses a dirt and dust collecting filter receptacle, such as a dirt cup or filter bag. Alternatively, the upper portion may simply be an elongated handle with the filter bag, and an external cloth bag, being hung therefrom. The cleaning or suction nozzle is hingedly connected to the upper handle portion such that the upper portion is pivotable between a generally vertical upright storage position and an inclined operative position. The underside of the nozzle includes a suction opening which is in fluid communication with the dirt cup or filter bag.
A vacuum or suction source such as a motor and fan assembly is enclosed either within the nozzle portion or the upper portion of the cleaner. The vacuum source generates the suction required to pull dirt from the carpet and floor being vacuumed through the suction opening and into the filter bag or dirt cup. A rotating brush assembly is typically provided in proximity to the suction opening to loosen dirt and debris from the surface being vacuumed.
As with any other vacuum cleaner, dirt-laden air is drawn into an upright vacuum cleaner through a nozzle by a suction that is created by a suction motor driving a suction fan or impeller. The dirt-laden air passes into a dirt collection receptacle such as a dirt cup or filter bag. The dirt is held in the receptacle and the air is exhausted.
An alternative to the upright vacuum cleaner is the canister vacuum cleaner. Canister vacuum cleaners typically employ a suction nozzle or tool, connected to the body of the canister by a hose, for suctioning dirt and debris from carpets, floors, and above floor surfaces. Both the suction source and the dirt collecting receptacle are in the canister. The suction nozzle can be provided with a rotating brush assembly, if desired.
Canister vacuum cleaners are particularly popular in Europe for cleaning a variety of surfaces in homes, offices, cars or the like. Like upright vacuum cleaners, canisters typically utilize attachments, in addition to the normal suction nozzle, for particularly cleaning in hard to reach places. Both types of vacuum cleaner units typically use a variety of attachments or tools with suction nozzles to reach hard to reach areas, on stairways, in cars, etc.
Of course, non-powered cleaning implements are also widely known. They are used for removing dust, dirt and/or liquids from hard surfaces. Brooms are one example. More recently, a cleaning implement which comprises a handle and a cleaning pad with a removable cleaning sheet has become popular for cleaning dry surfaces. The cleaning sheets exhibit the ability to pick up dust and debris from the surface to be cleaned. Once dirty, the sheet is discarded and replaced with a clean one. One such product is sold by Procter & Gamble under the trademark SWIFFER™.
This product uses non-woven sheets for dry dust-type cleaning. Such sheets typically utilize a composite of fibers where the fibers are bonded by adhesive, or are entangled in other ways. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,629,047 and 5,144,729. To provide durable wiping sheets, reinforcement means are combined with staple fibers in the form of continuous filament or network structure. Such cleaning sheets maximize the surface of the sheet and have electrostatic properties for collecting and/or attracting particulate dirt.
However, cleaning implements that comprise a removable cleaning sheet are not able to successfully remove larger debris or particles from the surface to be cleaned. Such debris may include animal hair or fur, dirt, sand or small pebbles brought in from outdoors, food crumbs or other larger particles of debris.
It would be desirable to combine a removable cleaning sheet from a cleaning implement with a suction tool of an upright vacuum cleaner or a canister vacuum cleaner. This could be accomplished by providing a suction tool, having a removable cleaning sheet attached thereto, as an attachment to a vacuum cleaner.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new and improved cleaning product which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others and meet the above stated need for an attachment with a cleaning sheet in combination with a suction tool for a vacuum cleaner.